Thai Chicken Curry [Recipe]

INGREDIENTS:

For the curry paste:

2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp white peppercorns
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
4 cm | 1.5 in sliver of cinnamon
2 cloves
1½ heads garlic (about 20 cloves)
2 big thumbs of ginger (about 100g | 3.5 oz)
1 medium cayenne chilli (or more to taste)
2 roasted or marinated red peppers (about 200g | 7 oz)
1 x 50g | 2 oz tin salted anchovies in oil
2 limes, juice and finely grated zest
3 Tbsp rapeseed (canola) or sunflower oil

For the curry:

1 red pepper
1 green pepper
10 button mushrooms (about 200g | 7 oz)
250 | 9 oz green beans (string beans)
600 g | 1 lb 5 oz skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 4 small chicken breasts)
400 ml | 13.5 oz tin coconut milk
4 tsp cornflour or potato starch
3 Tbsp cold water

For the rice:

300 g | 10 oz basmati rice
1 tsp salt
1 star anise
700 ml | 1.5 pints boiling water

To serve:

Bunch fresh coriander (cilantro), washed and roughly chopped
Thai fish sauce (nam pla), to taste.

METHOD:

1. Put the coriander seeds, caraway seeds, peppercorns, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon and cloves into a pan set over a high heat. Toast the spices, stirring occasionally, until they start to smoke and the mustard seeds start to pop – about 5 minutes.
2. Tip the spices into a mortar or electric spice grinder and grind to a rough powder. Pay particular attention to the cinnamon and cloves.
3. Peel the ginger and cut into chunks. Peel the garlic cloves. Remove the stalk end from the chilli.
4. Place the ginger, garlic, chilli, anchovies (including their oil), roasted or marinated peppers, lime juice, lime zest, rapeseed oil and ground spices into a food processor or blender. Blend for one minute. Scrape down the sides with a spoon or spatula and blend again for 1 minute. The paste may have a slightly rough texture – this is fine as long as there are no significant lumps.
   You can make the paste a day or two in advance and store in a jar in the fridge. If storing for more than a few days, pour a thin layer of rapeseed oil over the surface of the paste to keep out any air.

5. Prepare the vegetables. Deseed the peppers and cut into bite-sized pieces. Wash and slice the mushrooms. Wash the green beans and cut into 2 cm (1 inch) lengths.
6. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces – about 2 cm (1 inch) cubes.
7. Put all of the curry paste into a large saucepan over a gentle heat. Cook the paste, stirring continuously, for about 2 minutes.
8. Add the coconut milk, chicken and vegetables and stir well to combine. Bring the sauce to the boil, then reduce to a low heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. (Test by removing one piece of chicken and cutting in half. It should be fully white inside, with no signs of pink.)
9. While the curry is simmering, prepare the rice. Place the rice, salt and star anise in a medium saucepan. Add the boiling water and place the saucepan over a high heat. Bring the water back to the boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer gently for 10 minutes. At the end of cooking time, remove the lid and stir the rice with a fork to fluff it up and allow steam to escape.
10. Depending on the creaminess of your coconut milk and the water content of the vegetables, the final curry can be quite soupy in consistency. Sometimes I like this, and enjoy the curry as a soup, a bit like a laksa. Other times I prefer a thicker consistency that sits nicely on top of a bed of rice. To thicken the sauce, mix 4 teaspoons of cornflour or potato starch with 3 tablespoons of cold water in a cup. While the sauce is simmering, add the starch mixture a little at a time, stirring well between each addition until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
11. Serve topped with a generous sprinkle of coriander (cilantro) and fish sauce on the side.